Pneumatic spring for vehicles.



No. 673,0". Patented Apr. 30, |90I.

W. W. ANNABLE.

PNEUMATIC SPRING FOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Sept. 4, 1900.)

-(N Model.)

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UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN W. ANNABLE, OE GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASsIGNOR OE TWO- THIRDs ToG. STEWART JOHNSON AND J. WARREN BROWN, OE SAME PLAGE.

PNEUMATIC SPRING FOR VEHICLES..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,011, dated April30, 1901.

Application filed September 4, 1900. Serial No. 28,922. iNo model.)

To all whom. t may con/cern.: Pipes O connect the air-tank andthe'various Be it known thatI,WARRENW. ANNABLE,a springs to convey airto the latter. citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Theair-cushion proper consists of two con- Rapids, in the county of Kentand State of cavo-convex disks D and E, connected by 5 Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useflexible annular margins F F, of rubber, 55

ful Improvements in Pneumatic Springs for leather, or other suitablematerial, secured Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the followto therespective disks at their inner edges ing to be a full, clear,land exactdescription by suitable rings and bolts G and to each 0f the invention,such as will enable others otherat their outer edges by clamping rings1o skilled in the art to which it appertains to and bolts Gr Gr.l Eachdisk is provided with 6o make and use the same. a suitable seat D, bywhich the lower disk My invention relates to improvements in D engagesthe truck-frame and the upper pneumatic springs for vehicles, and moreesdisk E engages the car-body. Projecting inpecially to such springs forstreet-cars; and ward' around the axis of the disks are the 15 itsobjects are to provide means for autoopen-end tubes D' andE, one ofwhich is 65 matically regulating the air-pressures in the smaller thanthe other and extending within same in accordance with the load, toprothe same and slidably engages its interior, vide a device that willbe effective, cheap, being freely movable therein and having sufanddurable, to locate the regulating devices ficient clearance to allow airto pass freely 2o within the air-cushion, where they will be efbetweenthe tubes. The lower tube D is 7o fectively protected from dustandinjury,and preferably the largest. The air-pipe C is to provide thedevice with certain new and connected to .the disk E and Opens into theuseful features, hereinafter more fully deinterior of the tube E.scribed, and particularly pointed out in the Inserted in the lower endof the tube E' is z5 claims. a valve-seat K, having a central opening to75 My invention consists, essentially, in prosecure the stem M of theinlet-valve, which viding an-inflatable air-cushion with inlet stem isprovided with a flange l to which and exhaust openings and suitableinlet and is attached a facing L, of rubber or other Suitexhaust valveswithin the air-cushion and able material, which iiauge engages the seat3o operated by the movement of the same,WhereA K and closes a series ofvertical openings K 8o by as the cushion is compressed b creasedtherein. The stem M is provided with an load air is admitted an wen l.Tifn'rfur "axial opening closed at the top to prevent airienfis-oveiinlat'e re a Ive to thve'lmoad air will` from passing throughand open at the bottom beexlatedmfronrthas`msf as WI I'r'mmo receive theupwardly-projecting stem I of' 35 fiiiymectthaccompanythe exhaust-valve,which latter at its lower 85 'ing drawings, in Whichend is danged, as atI, to which iiange is se- Figure l is a side elevation of a street-carcured a suitable facing H to close the exhaustwith my device attached;Fig. 2, an enlarged opening C' in the lower disk D. The stem I axialvertical section of one of the pneumatic is also provided with alongitudinal slot I'r,

4o springs shown in Fig. l, and Fig. 3 a transand a pin J passes throughsaid slot and trav- 9o verse horizontal section of the tubesl andinerses the same. Washers N surround the let-valves on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2. stem I to limit the upward movement of the Like letters refer tolike parts in all of the stem I within-the stem M. figures. Ifrestricted for room in which to place the 45 A represents any suitableair-tank to conair-cushions, I provide the flexible portions 95 tain airunder pressure, which air is supplied F and rings G G of less diametersand reverse to the tank by any convenient means. their position, asindicated in dotted lines in B represents my pneumatic springs inter-Fig. 2, attaching the outer edges of said porposed at convenient placesbetween the car tions, to the disks and the inner edges of the 5o andtruck -frame and supporting' the car. same to the rings.v roo From theforegoing the operation of my device will be readily understood. Airunder pressure ows into the tube El, being retained therein as long asthe inletvalve remains closed. If, however, the pressure in the cushionshould not be sunicient to sustain the load, the upper disk and its tubewill descend until the valve-stem M contacts the Washers N, when theinlet-valve will be raised from its seat thereby. This will open thepassages K and permit air to Iiow into the lower tube, and thencebetween the tubes into the air-cushion until sutlicient to raise theupper disk and close the valve, thus cutting otf further supply. If theload should be reduced and the upper disk rise until the pin J engagesthe upper end of the slot I', the exhaustvalve will be lifted therebyand the air exhausted from the cushion until the upper disk againdescends. The device is thus automatic in its action, and each springacts independently, the pressure increasing or decreasing in each springaccording to the load thereon. The device is also simple, cheap, and noteasily got out of order, the valve mechanism being wholly within theair-cushion and fully protected thereby from dust and injury.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of an air-tank, an aircushion connected to the tankand composed of two disks having inlet and exhaust openings, andliexible margins attached to the disks and to each other; valves tocontrol said openings and located within the air-cushion, and means forconnecting the valves with the upper disk whereby said valves areoperated by the movement ot' the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a car, an air-tank, air-cushions connected to thetank and located between the truck and the body of the car; saidair-cushions consisting of concavoconvex disks having inlet and exhaustopenings and flexible margins attached to the disks at one edge andattached to each other at the other edge; inlet and exhaust valveswithin the air-cushion, and means for connecting said valves with theupper disks,substantially as described.

3. The combination of an air-cushion, having an inlet and an exhaustopening, inlet and exhaust valves and tubes slidably engaging eachother, and operating said valves, substantially as described.

4. The combination of disks, having flexible margins attached to therespective disks and to each other, tubes projecting inward from thedisks, and slidably engaging each other, an inlet-opening and anexhaust-opening, and inlet and exhaust valves within the said tubes, andoperated by the sliding movement of the same, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination of disks, exible margins, tubes on the disks andslidably engaging each other, an inlet-opening to the inner tube, anexhaust-opening to the outerI tube, a valve-seat closing the inner tube,a valve engagingsaid seat and operated by the descent of the inner tubeand a valve closing the exhaust-opening and opened by the ascent of theinner tube, substantially as described.

6. In combination with an aircushion, tubes attached to the respectivesides of the air-cushion and slidably engaging each other, means foradmitting air to the inner tube, an inlet-valve closing the lower end ofthe said tube, an exhaust-opening in the lower tube, a valve closing thesame, and means for opening the inlet-valve when the inner tube movesdownward, and means for opening the exhaust-valve when the said tubemoves upward, substantially as described.

7. In a pneumatic spring, a disk having an exhaust-opening, and anupwardly-projecting tube, a disk having an inlet-opening and a tubeprojecting downward and slidably engaging the interior of theIirst-named tube, a valve-seat in the lower end of the inner tube,having a central opening and a series of inlet-openings, a valve-stem inthe central opening and having a flange and an axial opening, a valveclosing the exhaust-opening and having a slotted stem inserted in thesaid axial opening, and provided with a longitudinal slot, and a pinengaging and traversing the slot, substantially as described.

8. In a pneumatic spring, a disk having an exhaust-opening, a disk abovethe same having a downwardly-projecting inlet-valve provided with anaxial opening, a valve closing the exhaust-opening, and having a stemmovable in the opening of the inlet-valve, washers on the stem to engageand lift the inletvalve and means for limiting the movement of the stemo f the exhaust-valve in the inletvalve opening, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination of a concavo-convex disk having a flexible margin, anexhaustopening, and an upwardly-projecting tube; a concavo-convex diskhaving a iiexible margin secured to the same on the first-named disk, adownwardly-projecting tube slidably engaging the interior of thefirst-named tube, and an inlet-opening to admit air to the said tube, avalve-seat in the lower end of the inner tube having a central openingand inletopenings, a valve-stem in the central opening having an axialopening and flange, a valve closing the exhaust-opening and having astem in the axial opening of the inlet-valve and provided with a slot,and a pin engaging and traversing the slot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof;` I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WARREN W. ANNABLE.

Witnesses:

PALMER A. JONES, LUTHER V. MoULToN.

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